Black Friday has been a tradition for years now. It is regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is the day after Thanksgiving and is one of the busiest times of the year retailers and shoppers. But where does the term Black Friday come from? When this tradition came about, shoppers were so eager to snatch the sales at shopping centers. As a result, the roads were mayhem and there were numerous traffic accidents and other altercations. In 1966, the Philadelphia Police Department came up with the term “Black Friday.” This day has been marked as the beginning…

Tired of making New Year’s resolutions and never completing your goals? Making a New Year’s resolution this year? Who are we kidding? According to Dan Diamond, a writer for Forbes, “only 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions.” What is stopping us from achieving our goals? “We all strive to make New Year’s resolutions, but due to school or sometimes financial issues, it can be hard to keep up with them,” said Sandra Ayllon, junior. Are we taking up too much so that we cannot complete simple tasks like staying organized? Or are we simply lazy? Do we…

Winter break is just around the corner which means it’s time to put together our holiday wish lists. As we all know, teenagers love to shop and large spending habits create large wishlists. So, what do the students at San Mateo want for the holidays? A poll was conducted to find out what is number one on San Mateo students’ wishlist. Most students want an item that was a new trend in the market this year. A popular choice was a new Iphone or computer. Specifically a rose gold iPhone 6s and a Macbook Air. The most popular item was…

One of the happiest 5K’s on the planet is the Color Run. My friends and I decided to participate this year because it is so fun. “I really liked getting the dye thrown me,” said Drew Svenson, freshman, after the November event. This special run is not like any ordinary one, as it is a very colorful way to celebrate healthiness, happiness and individuality. The Color Run is held in more than 50 countries. It is one of the largest events on the planet, and tickets sell out very quickly. The Color Run hosts over 300 events…

Jodi Ropert, a director of marketing at YouTube, makes it clear that the technology industry is open to everyone, not only the tech-savvy. In fact, Ropert herself got into technology not by being extremely technical, but simply by being passionate about technology and its future. “I got into technology sort of through luck. I needed to find an internship in France for my international fellowship program at UCLA and a friend of a friend’s son was heading the Microsoft Europe marketing team. So I met him and became an intern in Paris, and after graduating from business school, I started…

Living in the Bay Area, most SMHS students have driven by, seen or even been inside some of the biggest tech companies in the world. Every inch of Silicon Valley is covered with incredibly famous technology companies such as Google, Twitter and Netflix. Many want to work in these places, and everyone wants to be a part of this booming new industry. Although working for one of these companies is very hard work, it is worth it to be part of such a diverse team in such an unique place. Rodrigo Velloso worked at Google and YouTube, each for…

San Francisco is one of the most populated cities in in the United States. It is the cultural, commercial and financial center of Northern California. San Francisco also has many colleges and universities, one of which is San Francisco State University or, SFSU. “Although SFSU may not be like the Ivies,” said Daniel Bernardi, dean of the School of Liberal and Creative Arts, “it still provides students with a unique atmosphere. It encourages independence. Students are encouraged to go out into the city and explore jobs and internships.” SFSU has excellent academics. The university awards bachelor’s degrees in over 110…

Even though the unemployment rate in the U.S is 5.5 percent, there are numerous jobs that are in demand and growing tremendously. For SMHS seniors and anyone looking into college and thinking about what he or she wants to do in the future, this might be something for you to consider. According to the US News and World Report, 25.4 percent of teenagers are unemployed. This list can give you an idea of what careers you would be interested in. Our college paths also will affect what our career will be. This list is made from statistics gathered by the United States…

We all change. Change is a natural part of growing up, and we all grow up some time or another. As the holidays are coming up, I have noticed that the way I look at them has changed. Teenage years are when children change into adults, and that means that childish opinions change into adult ones. Growing up is an exciting and sad part of life, and it allows us to look back on our past and learn from it. All this growing up leaves us with a question. How have we changed? When I was a younger, I used…

Leaves are turning orange, brown and red, and the pumpkin spice latte has arrived. Last year the pumpkin spice craze had just begun. People of all ages were obsessed with the trend. This year; however, the trend has been taken to a whole new level. Pumpkin spice is no longer all about the lattes, it is in everything! From oreos to air freshener to dog treats, pumpkin spice has taken over this fall. There is a variety of pumpkin spice flavored, scented, and looking items that have been invented specifically for this season. It seems that almost every brand of…